FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a diagram of a circuit involving a type of general purpose integrated circuit, a voltage regulator integrated circuit 1. The voltage regulator integrated circuit 1 outputs a regulated DC (Direct Current) output voltage VOUT onto a load 2. The voltage regulator integrated circuit 1 includes three terminals 3-5, a current source 6 and a voltage regulator circuit 7. The voltage regulator circuit 7 may be a linear regulator. The voltage regulator circuit 7 may be a switched-mode power supply (SMPS). In either case, there is an output node and conductor 8 onto which the overall regulator circuit drives the output voltage VOUT. The magnitude of VOUT on node and conductor 8 is directly related to the magnitude of a reference voltage VR on a high input impedance input 9 of the voltage regulator circuit 7. The user of the voltage regulator integrated circuit 1 can set the magnitude of VOUT by proper selection of the resistance of an external resistor 10 coupled to the VR terminal 3. If the resistance of the external resistor 10 is small, then the voltage drop across the external resistor 10 due to current flow from the current source 6 is small, and the reference voltage VR is small, and therefore the magnitude of VOUT is small. If the resistance of the external resistor 10 is large, then the voltage drop across the external resistor 10 due to current flow from the current source 6 is large, and the reference voltage VR is large, and the magnitude of VOUT is large. In this way, the user can set the magnitude of VOUT to the value desired.